High efficiency thermal electric cooler driver

Abstract

A switching thermal regulator for efficiently and accurately regulating the temperature of an attached device, which includes a constant current supply, a thermistor, a signal processing amplifier, and a switching power supply. The thermistor, which is attached to the device to be regulated, senses the temperature of the device, and signals this temperature to the constant current supply, and signals this temperature to the signal processing amplifier which, in turn, signals this temperature to the switching power supply. Based on this voltage signal, the switching power supply adjusts the output voltage sent to a cooler, which allows the device to maintain a constant temperature.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A portable switching thermal regulator which regulates the temperature of an attached portable field medical laser and comprising: a portable current supply which produces a driver signal wherein said current supply has a power source providing a constant current supply using a direct current battery and a processing circuit, wherein said power source has a voltage of between 3.8 volts and 16 volts;   a circuit for supplying current;   a thermistor which adjusts said output signal of said constant current supply with changes of temperature to produce a thermally adjusted output signal;   a signal processing amplifier which receives and amplifies said thermally adjusted output signal to produce an amplified thermally adjusted output signal;   a switching power supply which receives said amplified thermally adjusted output signal, produces an output driver signal that increases as said amplified thermally adjusted output signal decreases and decreases as said amplified thermally adjusted output signal increases, and communicates said output driver signal to a cooler; and   a means for communicating said output signal to a cooler.   
     
     
       2. A portable switching thermal regulator as described in claim 1, wherein said cooler is a thermal electric cooler, which is driven by said amplified thermally adjusted output signal of said signal processing amplifier, is fixed in thermal contact with said attached portable field medical laser, and cools said attached portable field medical laser in response to said output signal of said producing means.